Preludes: Book 1, Op. 40

Trained as a classical pianist, Jim Kelsey grew up on the preludes of Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. �When he composed this first set, he patterned them after Debussy and Chopin. �Like Chopin, most of the preludes are short and geared towards a wide range of ability, from early intermediate to advanced. �Like Debussy, Kelsey's preludes are programmatic, based on stories or characters from the Old Testament. �Kelsey goes one step further, however, and in over half of the preludes, scriptural references are listed as the story unfolds. �The preludes are beautifully written and are certain to appeal to the church pianist looking for something new to perform. �The listening sample includes, in order, a short except from each of the preludes: �The Writing on the Wall (from the book of Daniel), Saul and the Witch of Endor, Esther, The Tower of Babel, Baby Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah and the Storm, Noah and the Doves, Abraham and Isaac, Joshua and the Long Day, Elijah on Mount Carmel, and Ezekiel and the Wheel.